Heal
by klynne83
Summary: While chasing a blacklister, Lizzie gets hurt. Red is there to help her get better. Also on AO3
1. Chapter 1

Another blacklister. She was sick of Red and his damn list. Sick of trying to figure out what his endgame was. She was trying to be mad at him, but she was really only upset with him. Red had his secrets, and while she was upset, she knew he had his reasons to keep them quiet.

Now, Luther Braxton, she was seriously pissed at him. But according to Red, he wouldn't bother her anymore. Which meant that Red had probably killed Braxton.

Braxton had taken her, trying to extract information she didn't even know she possessed. The water boarding still gave her nightmares. She can't even take a bath anymore. Showers only for this girl.

She gets jarred out of her thoughts as Ressler slams on the brakes as the car in front of them brakes fast. "Damn it!" Ressler swears. She slaps her hand onto the dashboard to stop herself from sliding forward, even though she was wearing her seatbelt. Ressler pulls up next to the curb and shuts the car off. Lizzie takes a look at her side mirror to see a familiar Mercedes pull up behind them. They both get out of the car and Lizzie looks up only to see their target.

"Ressler!" she yells as she spots their target running off. Lizzie takes off after him and she hears her name being called. She could hear footsteps behind her and she prayed that it was only her partner. She knew Ressler would catch up to her, only because he was slightly taller than her and had longer legs.

Lizzie slows down while drawing her gun from its holster. She peeks around the corner but doesn't see anything, but that didn't mean he wasn't there. She takes a step and continues down the street. It was eerily quiet. Not much foot traffic down here. She turns and starts to head back to the main road when she hears something behind her.

She didn't even get a chance to turn before she was hit with something in the back of the head. She feels herself start to fall, the world spinning. She drops to her knees as she feels the same instrument come down hard onto her back. Having no strength left she falls to the ground gasping for breath.

Out of her blurry sight she saw a pair of black boots, and she knew he was going to try and finish her off. She brings her arm around and lets a shot off with her gun. She hears her name being called before there was a swift kick to her abdomen. And the blacklister runs off.

"Keen!" Ressler calls dropping down next to her.

"Go get him," she rasps trying to pull air into her lungs.

Ressler nods before turning his head. "Reddington! She's here," he yells before getting up and running after their blacklister.

She was starting to get black spots in her vision and she knew she was starting to turn blue from the lack of oxygen. She couldn't seem to pull air into her lungs. She couldn't breathe. That's when the darkness took over.

~*~ TBL ~*~

"Lizzie. Lizzie," she could vaguely hear someone calling her name. "Come on, open those beautiful blue eyes for me." Lizzie groans before putting her hand onto the back of her head. She slips an eye open to look at her hand as she brought it in front of her face.

"I'm bleeding," she says. She looks up to see Raymond 'Red' Reddington staring down at her. "Red, I don't feel so good," she mutters.

"It's probably a concussion," he says. "Rest Lizzie. The ambulance is on its way."

"Red," she whispers. She could feel the bile rising up. "I'm gonna be sick." Red swings into action helping her into a sitting position and turns her head as she gets sick. He holds her hair and rubs his hand up and down her back in a soothing motion.

"Red," they could all hear the whine come out of her. Red gathers her into his arms, wrapping them around her. All she wanted was to feel safe, and by God, that's what he was going to try and make her feel. "My head hurts."

"The ambulance is coming," Red whispers dropping a kiss onto the top of her head.

A horn blares somewhere and Lizzie reacts to it, bringing up a hand and holding it over her ear. She tries to blink away the tears to no success. She buries her face into Red's chest. He brings his hand up and places it over hers that was over her ear. He drops another kiss onto her head.

"How is she?" Red looks up at Donald Ressler's form. A look of concern crosses his face.

"Most likely has a concussion. Anything else I'm not sure. Did you get him? Where is the ambulance?" Red asks looking up at his bodyguard and most trusted friend, Dembe.

"A minute out," he tells him.

"He took off into the park. I lost him there," Ressler replies.

Lizzie whimpers as police cars with their sirens blaring and lights flashing speed by. Red tightens his arms around Lizzie. Ressler waves his hand and Red looks up as an ambulance comes down the side street they were on. He walks over to the driver's side and tells them to cut the sound of the siren.

"Lizzie, the ambulance is here," Red tells her softly. She opens her eyes and then closes them. "Come on."

"Too bright," she whispers.

Red gets up and then helps Lizzie stand up wrapping his arm around her neck and pulling her toward him. She buries her face into his neck and together, they slowly start to walk toward the back of the ambulance. "Red, I think I'm gonna be sick again," she whispers. Red stops leading her and brings her away from the waiting paramedics. She bends over and throws up once again. The black spots were starting to return. "Raymond," she whispers before starting to drop to the ground. Luckily, Red had quick reflexes and catches her before she could hit the ground.

"Lizzie! Lizzie!" he calls desperately.


	2. Chapter 2

**Just wanted to say sorry about the summary. In my haste, I missed a word or two. But I promise you, the story is beta'd!**

**Forgot to mention in the first chapter that I don't own anything. I just like to play with them.**

**BIG SHOUT OUT to Alyson Jones Porter &amp; kashi33 you guys are the best! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!**

And now on with the show:

~*~ TBL ~*~

To Raymond Reddington, the ambulance ride to the hospital was the longest ride of his life. He sits back, keeping a death grip on Lizzie's hand. He has never been a religious man, but now he sends up a silent prayer for her recovery. He can't lose her. Lizzie is his redemption, his second chance.

He leans over and kisses her forehead, letting his lips linger for a moment. "Come back to me, Lizzie," he whispers.

The ambulance comes to a stop and Red looks up to see they have arrived at the hospital. He lets Lizzie's hand go as the back doors open and they rush her off the ambulance and into the hospital. Red is right behind them in hopes of weaseling his way into the room with her.

"Sir, you can't go back there," a nurse stops him at a pair of doors leading back into what he could only assume was the emergency rooms. He takes a look around at the hub of activity around him, and finds a chair. All he could do now is wait, so he takes a seat.

"Raymond," he hears. He looks up to see Dembe and Ressler walking toward him. "How is Agent Keen?"

"I don't know. They whisked her off back there when we came in," he points to the double doors where the nurse had stopped him from following. Ressler stalks off to the nurse's station, on a mission to find out the state of his partner.

Red sees the same nurse from earlier walking through the doors and stands abruptly. "I'm looking for someone called Red," she says walking over to the two.

"That's me," Red says taking a step forward. "What's going on?"

"When Agent Keen came out from under sedation, she started having a panic attack. We still need to perform a CAT scan, but we can't do that until she is calmed down. She keeps asking for you," the nurse replies.

"Bring me to her," Red says following the nurse. They get back to the room Lizzie was in and they could hear machines going off. The nurse leads Red in and his heart breaks when he sees his Lizzie. There was a thin sheen of sweat covering her face, a monitor was going off like crazy. He runs his gaze over the machine, noticing a little heart icon blinking furiously. That must be the heart monitor, he deduces. Lizzie was gasping like crazy, trying to get air into her lungs. There was a young doctor trying to talk to her, but he wasn't having any luck getting through to her. Red steps up and takes her hand into his. He runs his thumb over her scar, back and forth. She calms down somewhat, but she was still having some trouble breathing.

"It's working," another nurse remarks looking at the monitor.

Red leans down and whispers into her ear, "Lizzie." He leans back slightly as she turns her head. Her eyes were open wide, but it was as if she wasn't seeing anything. "Lizzie," he whispers to her once again. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. I will stay with you always." Lizzie blinks once, and Red watches as life comes back into her eyes. "Stay with me Lizzie."

"Red?" she questions.

"I'm here," he remarks. He feels her hand tighten on his. Red then feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns to see the nurse.

"Thank you. She has calmed down tremendously. We still have to take her for a CAT scan. But if you want to come with us, it will be a big help to keep her calm."

"I'm not leaving her now," Red remarks with a huff.

"Alright, if you could just take a step back. We just have to get situated and then be on our way," the nurse says with a smile. Red drops Lizzie's hand and takes a step back to watch the nurse work on doing whatever was needed to transport Lizzie to get a CAT scan. The monitors suddenly go crazy and everyone turns to look at Lizzie. Red immediately goes back to Lizzie's side and takes her hand once again.

"Okay, Lizzie, I'm here," he says soothingly. He takes a seat on her bed next to her. She blinks her eyes once and looks at him. "They have to take you for a CAT scan, but I will be with you the entire time." He turns to look at the doctor. "What is this CAT scan for anyway?"

"Her partner told us she was hit in the back. We took a look, and she has significant bruising. We just want to make sure that nothing was punctured. She wasn't vomiting up blood, was she?"

"Not that I saw," Red replies honestly. "She was dizzy, passed out, and she got sick. Had some sensitivity to light and sound."

"The CAT scan will be very quick. We have to keep her overnight for observation for her concussion. But if everything comes back good then she should be free to go home tomorrow."

"You hear that Lizzie?" Red turns to look at her. "If all goes well, hopefully, you will be out of here tomorrow. I'm going to make a few phone calls to try and procure us a safe house. She won't be able to fly, will she?" Red asks turning back to the doctor.

"I wouldn't suggest it, no," the doctor says. Red gives a brief nod and turns back to Lizzie, smiling down at her. She gives him a soft smile back before closing her eyes.

The CAT scan didn't take long, and they were back in her room in under 20 minutes. "Red will you shut the lights off? My head is pounding," Lizzie asks. Red gets up and shuts the lights off leaving the room in darkness. He makes his way back to his chair and takes Lizzie's hand into his once again.

"Rest Lizzie," he says softly leaning forward and placing a kiss onto her forehead.


	3. Chapter 3

That night neither Red nor Lizzie had gotten much sleep. It was due to the doctors or nurses coming in and waking her up to keep an eye on her concussion. Each time, it would take longer and longer to rouse her from sleep, and when Red asked about it, the nurse just shrugged her shoulders.

"She's tired. She's been through hell. All she is going to want to do is sleep. I made a note of it in her chart. She woke up, so it's not concerning. Her not waking up is what should concern you."

Red nods his head and keeps he hand firmly in hers. At some point he had moved his chair closer to her bed, so he could get a little more comfortable. He was used to going on little sleep, jetting around the globe. But tonight, he was just plain ole tired. He laid his head down on the bed next to her, and closed his eyes.

The silence didn't last long. Soon a nurse poked her head into the room to check on her patient. Red opened his eyes to see the nurse making a note in her chart and taking a look at the beeping monitors. "Agent Keen?" the nurse questions.

"Lizzie," Red says. He rubs his thumb along her cheek. Lizzie moans and opens her eyes to stare at Red.

"Again?" she asks quietly.

"Yes, I'm afraid," the nurse remarks just as quietly. They go through the notions, making sure her concussion wasn't getting any worse. "Everything looks good. I or another nurse will be back in about half hour to check on you again."

Lizzie sighs as the nurse walks out, closing the door behind her, bathing the room in darkness once again. "I'm so tired," she breathes out. Red lays his head back down onto the bed. He closes his eyes briefly, before popping them open again. He was trying not to fall asleep, but he was tired. Tired wasn't even the right word to use, exhausted was more like it. His eyes close on their own once again.

"Sleep Ray," Lizzie says softly, pulling her hand away from his and running it over his head.

"Can't sleep. Gotta keep an eye out," he says with a yawn.

"Dembe is right outside the door," she runs her hand over his head once again before taking Red's hand into her own.

"Then you sleep too," he gives her hand a squeeze and watches as her eyes close. Red tries to get comfortable, but the chair was unforgiving on his back.

"Red, come here," Lizzie scoots over and pats the bed next to her.

"Lizzie, that's not a good idea."

"It has to be more comfortable than the chair you are sitting on. Neither of us are going to get any sleep. And I feel safer with you next to me. Lord knows why with all the dangerous criminals you keep bringing me. You make me feel safe."

"It's been a long time since anyone told me I make them feel safe," he replies to her while getting up and sliding onto the bed. He lays down on his back and Lizzie immediately lays her head onto his shoulder. He slips his around her, pulling her close while she drapes her arm around his stomach and settles into his side. The peace that Red felt at that moment was all encompassing. He hadn't felt peace like that in a long time. And he wasn't sure if he ever wanted to give it up. It felt right to have Lizzie in his arms.

Red knew he wanted more from her, but he wasn't sure if she returned the sentiments. He drops a kiss onto her head, while the arm she placed around his stomach snags his hand, bringing their hands together. Just before sleep overtakes her, Lizzie leans up and kisses him on his cheek.

"There is a lot more we need to talk about, but for now, I like the way we fit together," Lizzie remarks snuggling into him. She grabs the white blanket that all hospitals use and brings it up, laying it over the both of them.

"Thank you," Red says dropping another kiss onto her head. Lizzie lets out a happy sigh while closing her eyes. Red follows suit and the two of them head off to dreamland.

~*~ TBL ~*~

True to form, Dembe was sitting right outside the door to Liz's room. He had put in a call to Mr. Kaplan to procure them a safe house in the area. Since Liz wouldn't be able to fly for the next few days, they had to stay in the area. He phone buzzes in his pocket while he is thinking of what their next step would be. He pulls it out and takes a look noticing Mr. Kaplan was calling him back. He gets up and takes a look into the room, smiling when he sees the pair curled up together on the bed sound asleep. They would be okay, while he stepped away to take the call.

He returns a few minutes later, happy that Mr. Kaplan, was able to procure a safe house for them. Ressler had headed back to the hotel, but Dembe knew he would have to return to DC. Red was going to have to talk to a contact to see if they could get another meeting with their blacklister.

Dembe had mentally made a list in his head of what they would need or need to do in the next few days. As it was, he knew Raymond wouldn't leave Liz alone. Their feelings were changing for one another and Dembe hoped that was a good thing. Raymond deserved to be happy.

Dembe looks up as a doctor heads toward them. Nothing unusual about that since this was in fact a hospital. What was unusual about it, was the fact that he was wearing a face mask. Dembe mentally goes through the list of doctors and nurses he had seen since he had taken residence outside of Liz's room. And this new doctor wasn't matching anyone he had already seen. Neither his face, nor his eyes, looked familiar to Dembe. A nurse was walking by and he stops her to ask about the doctor. She shakes her head telling him a doctor wouldn't see the agent until the morning, during rounds. Dembe nods his head and turns on his heel, slowly approaching the room.

Dembe watches as the "doctor" pulls a syringe out of his pocket bringing in to the IV that was attached to Liz. Dembe pulls his gun out from where it was attached at his back and opens the door, making as little noise as possible. He takes a step into the room, coming up behind the man.

"Don't even think about it," Dembe tells him.

"Too late," the "doctor" tells him, pushing the syringe into Liz's IV line.


	4. Chapter 4

"Raymond," Dembe calls to his friend. Red and Liz blink their eyes open. Red is immediately on guard as he sees the two figures standing over them. "Her IV! Quick!"

Red immediately pulls Lizzie's IV out, making her wince. He gets up and walks over to the corner where the sink is and grabs some gauze, bringing it over to Lizzie. He presses it onto the spot where Lizzie's IV was. "You okay?" Red asks looking Lizzie over.

"Yeah, I don't feel anything. It just hurt when you pulled the needle out. But I think you got it out in time," she replies, blinking her eyes. Sleep still clinging to her mind and body.

The two turn to watch as Dembe pulls a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket, and handcuffs their blacklister. "One of you should call Agent Ressler," Dembe tells them, before pulling their suspect out of the room.

"You sure you're okay?" Red asks once the door closes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing is wrong," Lizzie reassures him. She puts her hand onto his face, making him look at her. "Red, I'm okay." The two turn as the door opens and the nurse walks in.

"I hear you need a new IV," she says with a smile. The nurse gets busy exchanging Lizzie's old IV with her new one. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Lizzie remarks.

"You are going to feel like that for the next couple of days," the nurse explains. She does a quick exam while Lizzie was awake. "Get some rest. You seem to be doing okay. I'll be back in about an hour," she says before walking out the door.

"Go back to sleep Lizzie. I am going to talk to Dembe and then call Ressler."

"As long as you come back," Lizzie says laying back down. Red nods his head and heads out the door going to look for Dembe, who was not in his chair. Red finds Dembe and their blacklister right outside the emergency room doors. Red holds out his hand and Dembe hands over his cell phone. Red dials a number and it rings a few times before it gets picked up.

"Ressler," a tired voice answers.

"Ressler, I have your guy. He made an attempt on Agent Keen's life while at the hospital. Dembe woke us before anything happened. Get dressed and get down here. I will see to it my jet is ready for you when you want to head back to DC," Red explains.

"What do you mean when _I_ return to DC?" Ressler asks immediately waking up.

"Lizzie is not allowed to fly for at least the next few days. Dembe is working on getting us a safe house. For at least as long as we have to stay here."

Ressler lets out a sigh. "Alright, I will be there as soon as I can."

Sure enough, Ressler shows up about 10 minutes later. His SUV screeches to a stop and he jumps out, taking a look at the three. Both Red and his bodyguard looked haggard, like they hadn't slept. And knowing them as Ressler did, they probably hadn't. Ressler grabs their blacklister and marches him toward his car. Forcing him into the backseat. He turns back to Red and Dembe.

"How's Keen?" he asks.

"Exhausted. But that's what happens when you get woken up every 15 minutes so the nurses can check you over," Red explains. "The nurses say she is doing well, so she should be released later today. When would you like to transport him back to DC? I will have my jet ready for you."

"I have a few agents from the local office waiting. They can keep him until we all get some rest. I will take off in the morning. None of us are going to be any good if we don't get some rest. Can you make it available so I can leave by 9? I will update Cooper when I get back. Make sure she is available. He is going to want to talk to her," Ressler then turns and head back toward the SUV.

"What's the plan now?" Dembe asks as they watch Ressler drive away.

"Lizzie has requested I come back. Now that our guy is in for the night with the feds, you can head to the safe house and get some shut eye. Did Kate come through for us?"

"She sure did. It's a two bedroom, but it was the only thing she could get for us last minute. There seems to be some sort of convention happening, so all the hotels are booked. It's not what we will be used to, but it's somewhere comfortable, and out of the way."

"Head over and get some sleep. I will stay with Lizzie. Please call Will and make sure the jet is gassed and waiting for Agent Ressler," Red commands his bodyguard. Dembe nods before walking off toward where Red could only assume Dembe had parked their car earlier. Red walks back into the hospital and toward Lizzie's room. He slips in, noticing she was sleeping once again. He takes a seat in his chair and gathers her hand into his. Lizzie slowly opens her eyes and gives him a soft smile.

"Everything okay?" she scoots over to make room for Red, who only happily obliges her by getting in with her. They curl up together in almost the exact same way as before. Red feels Lizzie's breathe even out.

Red tilts his head down, intending to give Lizzie a kiss onto her head, but he closes his eyes and relishes on the closeness between the two. "Everything is good," he breathes into her hair.


	5. Chapter 5

Red sighs as he lays back on the exquisite mattress underneath him. He was so glad to be out of the hospital and at the safe house Mr. Kaplan had gotten for them. He thought the doctors were going to make Lizzie stay due to the unfortunate mishap with their target the night before. The doctor had been wary about releasing Lizzie into Red's custody. Not that she needed to be released into Red's custody. She was a grown woman, and could make decisions for herself, or at least that's what she told the doctor, who appeared to be in his early twenties.

"I swear the doctors in this country keep getting younger and younger," Red grumbled to Lizzie as they waited for her release papers. The nurse had already gone over care instructions. If anything were to really go wrong, Red was supposed to bring her back in immediately.

The doctor had told them that she was going to have some memory issues with the concussion and things weren't going to be right for the next few days, but eventually she would get better. Rest, lots and lots of rest. Keep anything mentally stimulating away until her symptoms begin to subside.

After that, slowly and gradually begin to bring those mentally stimulating things back. See how she reacts to it. But it would be up to Lizzie. Communication is key in dealing with something like this. Her mood swings would be crazy, she may or may not sleep. All patients were different.

Red had nodded to the doctor as he explained everything. They could always go back to the safe house to do their own research. Lizzie groans as an orderly and nurse bring in a wheel chair.

"I'm not getting in that thing," Lizzie says crossing her arms.

"Agent Keen, it's…"

"I. Don't. Care," she shakes her head, but then stops as the room starts to spin. Red steadies her as she leans slightly forward to put her head onto his chest. He runs his hand up and down her back.

"Elizabeth," Red says getting her attention. She looks up and into his eyes. "It's hospital policy. You know that."

"Don't wanna," she argues, sounding like a child.

"I will make a deal with you. If you can walk to that chair, then you can walk out of this hospital on your own free will," Red tells her pointing to the chair he had occupied before.

Lizzie nods her head, her stubborn nature coming to the front. She slides off the bed and stands for a moment. She stares at the chair and takes a step forward, but it was hard for her body to move. It was as if her mind and body weren't aligning up properly. She turns to stare at Red, a few tears falling from her eyes. "I can't."

Red pulls her into his warm embrace. "Lizzie," he says soothingly. He then guides her over to the wheelchair and helps her sit down. He grabs the handles of the wheel chair and guides her out of her room and toward the exit. Right outside of the sliding doors of the ER he could see Dembe waiting with the car. "There is Dembe."

Lizzie grabs his hand and squeezes it quickly before wiping her tears away. Red stops the wheelchair and then helps Lizzie get into the car and comfortable, before turning and smiling at the two that had followed them out. "Thank you and hopefully we won't be seeing you again," he says with a smirk. He walks around the car and gets into the backseat, sliding in next to Lizzie.

~*~ TBL ~*~

"Red. Red. Ray!" Red gets pulled out of his musings and turns to face Lizzie. She had gotten changed, and was now in the softest pair of sweatpants Red's money could buy and an equally soft t-shirt. He continues looking at her, waiting for her next question. "Where did you go? I've been trying to get your attention."

"Sorry sweetheart. Just thinking over this morning," he explains. He takes in her form, letting himself linger over her face. She had pulled her hair back, into a bun and she had taken off her makeup that she hadn't been able to the night before. Beautiful, Red thinks to himself. He must have said out it loud, as Lizzie blushes. "What's this for?" he asks running a finger over the blush that was spreading across her face.

"You think I'm beautiful?" she questions, her eyes wide as they lock onto his.

"Well, that's a stupid question," he replies.

Lizzie pulls herself closer to him, laying her head onto his chest, not unlike how they were sleeping in the hospital. She lays a kiss over his heart. "You're not so bad yourself."

Red lets out a laugh while running his hand up and down her back. "Are you hungry? Dembe is making a light dinner."

"I don't know. The feeling is there, but I just…" she trails off, not really having any idea how she feels. "I feel like I could sleep for a month, but at the same time my body just wants to be up and moving around. My brain is scattered. And I…" the tears come to her eyes, but she doesn't make any notion to stop them this time.

"It's alright, Lizzie. Your emotions are everywhere right now, and they will be until they won't. You heard the doctor, you could be like this for a while. I will be here every step of the way. Don't feel bad about anything. And if you feel the need to cry, just to cry, then do it. Or anything else. I'm here."

~*~ TBL ~*~

That night they had a light dinner and headed off to bed. Dembe taking the room, closest to the front door while Lizzie and Red took the one down the hall. After sharing her hospital bed, she had no problem sharing this bed with him. Lizzie was laying down in the bed, waiting for Red when the bathroom door opened. He walked out wearing a pair of blue flannel pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt that hugged him in all the right places. Lizzie looks him over liking what she sees.

"Yes?" Red asks enjoying her appreciative gaze.

"Nothing. I've just never seen this side of you. I like it, it's just so normal." 

"Are you saying I'm not normal?" he asks.

"Definitely not," she replies with a yawn. He gets into bed and lays down next to Lizzie, before pulling her towards him. "It's like your suits and hats are your armor. Those are for show. But this," she waves her hand at what he was wearing, "this is the real you, Raymond. The other stuff," she again waves her hand at the wardrobe where she knew his suits were hanging up, "that's all Red."

Red thinks this over for a moment before nodding, smiling when Lizzie brings a blanket up over the two. He watches as her eyes close, and snap open. "Sleep Lizzie. We have all the time in the world to talk. No need to psychoanalyze me at this moment."

He listens as her breathing evens out and then sighs. "I hope you can love me, Lizzie," he quietly breathes out.

"I'm starting to," she replies back just as quietly. She leans up and presses a kiss onto the side of his neck and snuggles into him once again, finally letting sleep take over.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few days were spent doing not much of anything. Red let all his business go for the time being, and if things needed to be dealt with, then he would let Dembe handle it. He didn't want to leave Lizzie for a moment. She was relying on him for everything.

One morning a few days later, Red had woken up to Lizzie sitting on the side of the bed crying. He immediately crawled across the bed to find out what was wrong. She tries to wipe the tears away to no avail, because more fell down her cheeks. "I tried to get up to go to the bathroom. I stood up and then I just stood there. I couldn't move. It was as if my brain and body aren't working together. I understand the concept that it involves one foot in front of the other, but my brain is not letting me."

Red gathers her into his arms and lets her cry. "I'll have Dembe look up a specialist. There has to be something that those incompetent ER doctors missed. It's okay, Lizzie. You will get better."

"What if when I got hit on my back, he did something to my spine?"

"Your spine is fine. You had a CAT scan, remember? They would have caught it on there." He helps her stand up, then wraps his arm around her waist. "One foot in front of the other. Don't think about it. Just put one food in front of the other." He then leads her toward the bathroom. "See, you're okay. You're going to be okay."

"Yes, thank you, Red," she grabs his hand before he walks out of the bathroom. "I mean it, thank you."

"You're more than welcome," he says running his hand over her cheek before walking out of the bathroom. Red was sitting on the bed waiting for Lizzie when the bathroom door swings open. Lizzie stands there. She wearing another pair of sinfully comfortable sweatpants and t-shirt. He gets up and takes a step toward her, but she holds her hand out to stop him.

"I can do it," she says. She takes a few steps and then finishes walking over to him. She breathes a sigh of relief and wraps her arms around Red. "Just that walk across the room makes me feel better. I've got more stuff to figure out, but I'm starting to feel good."

"Lizzie, I am proud of you. Would you like to join me for breakfast? Dembe is making…"

"Please don't say..."

"Pancakes? You hate pancakes," Red looks affronted. "Dembe made waffles and bacon."

Lizzie's stomach growled hungrily and Red laughs. "Oh my God. Sounds delicious. It's the first time I've been hungry in days. And bacon. This reminds me, I don't eat nearly enough of it." Lizzie grabs Red's hand and pulls him from the bedroom and into the kitchen where Dembe was standing at the stove.

"Oh, that smells so good," Lizzie hums her approval at the smells wafting around the kitchen. Dembe smiles as he turns around, placing plates in front of the two. "Strawberries, too? You guys are spoiling me." She chuckles, as they both dig into their breakfast. "Dembe, sit down and eat," Lizzie says as she steals the last piece of bacon off Red's plate.

"Hey!" exclaims Red turning to look at her. Lizzie just shrugs her shoulders.

"I already ate," Dembe tells her. He then turns to Red. "I made the appointment."

"Thank you," Red tells his bodyguard while getting up and bringing their plates to the sink. Lizzie gets up and joins him at the sink and the two get busy washing and drying.

"What appointment?" Lizzie questions.

"For you. The doctor is going to check you over and if he gives the okay, we can fly back to DC. You are going to have to make an appointment with a therapist before Harrold gives you the all clear to return to work."

Lizzie sighs. "I know. How did you know that?"

"I talked to Harold yesterday while you were napping. He sends his wishes. But once you are back to work he wants to debrief you. What you can remember, anyway."

Lizzie's quiet, absorbing everything Red was telling her. "I'm gonna go lay down." She turns and walks out of the kitchen. Red and Dembe exchange a look before Red follows her. Red enters the bedroom to find Lizzie sitting on the bed, with her face down.

"Lizzie?" she doesn't answer him. He knees down in front of her, pushing her hair behind her ear, so he could see her better. "Elizabeth?"

"Sorry," she says wiping a few tears away from her face. "I'm just having trouble remembering what happened. I know we were after a blacklister. But I don't remember. I don't remember anything until a few days ago. What happened?"

Red takes a seat on the bed next to Lizzie. He wraps his arm around her, pulling on her, making her lay back. They pull themselves towards their pillows and lay on their sides. They were mirror images of each other. Both had their arms bent, underneath their heads. While their free arms, reached for the other's hands.

"Red?" Lizzie questions.

"We had just gotten there, Dembe and I. I hadn't even made it out of the car when you yelled Ressler's name and took off. It happened in the span of a few minutes. Ressler took off after you. Dembe and I just stood there and waited, thinking you guys would return. Then I heard Ressler yell my name and something like 'she's here'. I took off and I swear, I nearly had a heart attack when I turned the corner and saw you on the ground. Ressler and our blacklister were nowhere in sight. It took you a few minutes to come around. I helped you up, but then you had this look of panic on your face before you told me you were going to be sick. You were sensitive to everything. There was a horn, so you covered your ears to stop from hearing anything. I pulled you into my arms and tried to protect you from everything around us, the noises, the light. When the ambulance finally arrived, I helped you up and we started walking towards the back when you told me you were going to be sick again. You passed out right after."

Lizzie pulls herself towards him a little more, so they were now sharing one pillow. "Oh, God, Red. What happened next?" She untangles their hands and places her hand onto his cheek. He closes his eyes at the contact.

"You had a panic attack at the hospital. The nurse had to come and get me. You just kept telling them you wanted me. You kept asking for 'Red'. When I got back into the emergency room you were in, it was a sight I never wanted to see. You had this blank look on your face. I walked over to the side of your bed, took your hand and started rubbing your scar, like you usually do. You started to calm down, but you weren't coming out of it. So I started calling your name. Started talking to you until you finally came out of it."

"Red, oh my God," Lizzie cries. She pulls herself to him, wrapping her arms around him, leaving no space between the two. She buries her face into his neck while he rubs her back, trying to sooth her. 

"It's okay, Lizzie, you're okay. Everything turned out fine. You are here, talking to me." Red smiles as he looks down at her.

"Red," she says exasperatingly. She catches his eyes before capturing his lips with her own. Red freezes for a split second before responding. He pulls her against him more tightly, before bringing his arm down and pulling her leg over his.

Lizzie groans, pulling away from the kiss with a gasp. Red grips her hip with his hand and bring his mouth to her neck. "Oh, Ray," Lizzie sighs, bringing her hand up to the back of his head. He then started to slide his hand up her shirt when there was a banging at the door.

"Oh, for the love of God," Red exclaims. "What?"

"Reddington!" they hears.

"It's Ressler!" Lizzie squeaks.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you to the always amazing Alysha Jones Porter! Without her the story probably wouldn't have gotten written.

As always I do not own anything. I just like to play with the characters

Lizzie scrambles off the bed, almost falling as her legs get tangled in the blanket. Red watches as she runs into the bathroom, closing the door behind her softly. He takes a moment to compose himself. Their relationship was finally starting to go somewhere and Ressler had to go and mess it up.

Red gets up and walks to the door, pulling it open. "Donald!" he exclaims jovially, pulling the 'Red' persona onto his face. "To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?" Red makes eye contact with Dembe who was standing behind the agent. Dembe shrugs his shoulders, not knowing how Ressler had found them.

"Where is she Reddington?"

"Where is who, Donald?" Red asks looking around.

"Keen. Where is she?" Ressler asks, aggravation clear in his voice.

"Just stepped into the bathroom."

"Why was the door closed?" Ressler tries to walk past the criminal, but Red wasn't having any of that. He blocks the doorway with his body, effectively stopping Ressler from entering. "I need to talk to my partner."

"Lizzie was just napping. You've woken her up. Even though she seems to be getting better, she still sleeps in the afternoon. What is so important? And how did you find us?"

"Cell phone," Ressler says distractedly. "And Cooper wants to talk to her. You were supposed to have her call in, but you never did. Cooper wants to debrief her. Even if he has to do it over the phone. And when is she coming back to DC?"

They all look up as the bedroom doors swings open, revealing Lizzie who was still dressed in her pajamas, but much more composed than she was five minutes ago. She steps out and then looks up as she feels eyes on her. "What?" she asks.

"To the living room," Red says, guiding them. Ressler takes the lone chair, while Red and Lizzie take the couch. Ressler notices that they sat too close to each other. Dembe stood in the doorway, keeping an eye on the three adults as they talk.

"What's up Ress?" Lizzie asks, trying desperately not to take Red's hand into her own. She needed comfort but she didn't want Ressler to know the changes in her and Red's relationship just yet.

"Reddington was supposed to have you call in to talk to Cooper. You never did. He was worried about you. We all were. You got hit pretty hard."

"Sorry Ressler. But all I've been doing the past couple of days is sleeping. Red and Dembe make sure I get some food in me and then I would go right back to sleep. We can call Cooper now if you'd like."

Ressler nods. "When are you coming back to DC?"

"Red has made an appointment for…" Lizzie looks at Red, waiting for him to join the conversation.

"Tomorrow. She is going to get a checkup at the hospital and if everything comes out okay, we will be heading back to DC the following morning."

"Why the following morning?" Ressler demands.

"My jet is currently indisposed at the moment. My pilot is running an errand for me."

"They have other airplanes you know," Ressler reminds.

Red's face blanches. "You want me to fly coach?" Red asks, shocked. He visibly shudders at the thought making Lizzie smile at his antics. Red brings his arm up onto the back of the couch. Lizzie finally leans back, making herself a little more comfortable but, she then moves away when she notices Ressler's glare on them.

"Um, how about we make that call to Cooper? We can use my room," Lizzie says pulling herself off the couch. Ressler gets up, following her. She leads him back toward the room she had been sharing with Red. Ressler takes a look around and plops himself down onto a chair that was tucked into the corner while Lizzie takes a seat on the bed.

"A little rustic, compared to how Reddington usually lives."

"Yeah, there was some sort of convention or something. So the hotels were booked. This is what they could come up with on short notice, I guess," Lizzie shrugs her shoulders. "It's no bad."

Ressler then pulls out his phone and dials a number. "Agent Ressler," Cooper's voice came over the line.

"Yeah, I have someone you want to talk to," Ressler says, handing the phone to Lizzie.

"Cooper," she says smiling.

~*~ TBL ~*~

Red was a most patient man. He had to be in his line of work. But sitting here, waiting for the bedroom door to open, suddenly patience was a virtue he no longer had. It was killing him. Filling him with an aggravation he didn't know he could possess. He just wanted to throw open the door and find out what was going on in there, but he remained seated on the couch. He had pulled a book off the bookshelf that was tucked into the corner of the room, to try and pass the time. But he couldn't keep his eyes off the door. Red abandons his book on the coffee table and lays down, his head cushioned on an uncomfortable and scratchy pillow.

He closes his eyes, letting his other senses wake. He could hear Dembe in the kitchen, puttering around. Birds outside were chirping. Red lets his body relax. He hadn't been sleeping well, knowing if and when he could, he would sleep like the dead. But he had kept himself semi-conscious for Lizzie's sake. If she needed him, he had wanted to be there for her. His mind at that moment, shuts down, as he falls into a blissful sleep. He could vaguely feel a blanket being draped over him, but he just didn't have the energy to move.

"Let him sleep," he could have sworn that was Lizzie's voice.

~*~ TBL ~*~

Ressler and Lizzie finally leave the bedroom after finishing the phone call. Cooper had told Lizzie to take as much time as she needed to get better. He wanted her running at full capacity.

They both come across Red sprawled on the couch fast asleep. Lizzie turns and walks back into the room, grabbing a blanket off the bed and draping it over Red. Ressler goes to open his mouth but shuts it when Lizzie turns and shoots him a look. "Let him sleep," she tells her partner. "Dembe we are just going outside. I will be right back," she calls to the bodyguard. She follows Ressler outside and towards his car.

"Listen, Keen, whatever is going on…"

"He's barely slept Ressler. He has been taking care of me."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. Listen, I'm not going to rat you out to Cooper. What you guys do off the clock is none of my business or anyone else's. I'm surprised it actually took you two this long."

"Things still need to be talked about between us," Lizzie explains.

Ressler shrugs his shoulders. "Just a little while ago you told me you didn't trust him. Now you're playing house?" he gives Lizzie that 'come on, I don't believe you' look.

"There is more to him than you know. We talked some in the last few days. But…" she turns to look at the house. "I don't know. There is more we still need to discuss. Like if this does get out, how we don't want to end up in jail."

"Listen, if Cooper can look the other way about Samar and Aram, then he should give you and Red the same courtesy."

"Yeah, but neither one of them is an international criminal."

"That we know of. Samar _is_ former Mossad," Ressler quips.

Lizzie laughs. "True. Listen, once we are back in DC I have to get my head shrunk before I am able to get back to work. I don't want to think about it anymore than I have to. We are just enjoying things here. It's gonna be different when we get back to the hustle and bustle of DC, the Post Office and Red's blacklist. So, who knows?" 

"Good luck Keen," Ressler says getting into his car. Lizzie waits as he drives off before walking back into the house. She gives Red's prone form a soft smile before walking over and climbing onto the couch with him. It was a tight fit, but she managed to squeeze herself between the couch and Red. She then pulls the blanket over the two of them. And even in sleep, Red knows she's there. His body turns to accompany her, brings her flush against him. Lizzie snuggles into Red's body, and like Red had done moments before, lets her brain shut off, lets her body rest.


	8. Chapter 8

Lizzie wakes to the feel of someone's hands on her face. Her body coming alive as well as her mind. Someone is rubbing their thumb across her cheek. A slow smile spreads across her face as she burrows deeper into Red.

"Ah, there she is," Red's amused voice could be heard. She finally opens her eyes and looks up at him. "Good nap?"

Lizzie nods her head. "Very good. Didn't expect to fall asleep, though. I just wanted to lay down with you. But you were just so warm and comfortable." She runs her hands up his chest, his neck and to his face. She pulls his head down to hers. She gets no hesitation from him, and their lips meet in a sweet kiss. He brings her flush against him. He slips his hands down to her t-shirt, intent to explore what was hidden underneath when there was a cough from behind them.

Red groans while pulling away. "You my friend have really bad timing." Lizzie giggles, laying her head against Red's chest.

"There are lots of things I will do for you, and have done for you brother, but watching you corrupt Agent Keen is not one of them."

"Corrupt Agent Keen?" Lizzie questions as they both turn to look at Dembe, who just smiles before walking out of the room and into his own. "What does he mean corrupt? Dembe? What did you mean by that?" Lizzie yells after him. All they get is Dembe's door closing. Red chuckles at Lizzie's indignation. Lizzie shakes her head at the whole thing and turns back to Red. "You know what I noticed before?"

"What did you notice before?" Red asks dropping his head and stealing another kiss from Lizzie.

"That even in your sleep, you can sense me."

"What?" Red asks not understanding what she was talking about.

"When I came back in from talking to Ressler earlier, and I laid down with you. You instinctively turned your body to make me comfortable. You just moved your body and pulled me in close to you. I liked that."

Red just smiles and kissed her again.

~*~ TBL ~*~

The next morning, dawns bright and early, but for the two sleeping in bed, they didn't want to get up. Red knew he had to, but he was feeling spoiled. He had never slept better, ever, since becoming the 'Concierge of Crime'. And it was all in thanks to the beautiful woman sleeping next to him. He could shed his 'Red' persona and just be Ray.

"Lizzie," he calls to her.

"No," she whines, burrowing deeper into Red.

"Come on, we have a big day and after your appointment, I am going to take you out."

She looks up at him. "Like a date?"

"If that's what you want to call it, sure, like a date." They pull themselves out of bed and get ready.

"Something fancy?" Lizzie asks poking her head out of the bathroom while brushing her teeth.

"No," Red tells her, picking out clothes. "We might have to try for a fancy dinner when we get back to DC but not here." Red dresses rather quickly, in something simple. A pair of jeans and a long sleeved blue shirt.

"Wow," Lizzie says coming out of the bathroom. Red turns to look at her. "You do own normal clothes."

Red laughs, "Yes, I do. Are you done?"

"Bathroom is all yours," she says walking over to the dresser where all her stuff was. It was crazy how well they worked together. How well they moved around each other. She knew it came down to them doing this little morning ritual the past few days. She wondered if it would be like this when they went back to DC.

They had a quick breakfast and then they were on the road. "Where are we going?"

"Into town. We've been cooped up in the house, and I wanted to see how you really are doing with everything. We'll walk around, maybe do some shopping. We can grab some lunch and then your appointment. Sound okay?"

Lizzie nods. "Yeah." 

Red hears the uncertainty in her voice. "Lizzie what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Well, not nothing. Just nervous. What if something goes wrong? Or what if…"

"Then we will deal with it. But you have been recovering wonderfully. Stop the 'what ifs'. They will just make you crazy," Red reprimands.

They continued on after that in silence. Lizzie curls up next to Red, placing her head onto his shoulder. He then takes her hand into his, running his thumb on the back of her hand, trying to calm her down. Dembe parks in a strip mall while Red looks at all the stores around him. He crinkles his nose in distaste.

"You're a snob," Lizzie says with a laugh as she looks at him.

"Not a snob, Lizzie. I just enjoy the finer things in life. I should set you up with my tailor."

Lizzie shakes her head. "Let's get this show on the road," she circles the car and takes Red's hand into hers, pulling him towards the crowd.

"If you need to leave, just tell me."

"Nope. It's going to be great. I'm gonna be great." Lizzie's grin was infectious as Red grins back at her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Here it is the Epilogue! But not to fear this is more to come for Red &amp; Lizzie**

**Thank you for taking this amazing journey with me.**

**And I cannot thank Alysha Jones Porter for her constant support and for being the BEST beta. She is my sounding board. Whenever I get a thought I ask her to see what she thinks.**

**I wrote for a lot of shows, but I never thought about posting before, but Alysha and the ladies at my Facebook group 'The Blacklist: Lizzington Shippers' have been so supportive and amazing. I thank you from the bottom of my heart**

The afternoon had gotten away from them so much that they had almost missed their appointment, but luckily they had made it to the hospital just in time. The nurse, different nurse than last time, Red notes, brings them into a room and tells them that the doctor should be in shortly. Lizzie pulls herself onto the hospital bed and stares at Red. He grins while walking towards her, grasping her face in his hands and slowly brings their lips together.

Lizzie gets up, not breaking the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. His hands make their way to her hips pulling her toward him. They knew they couldn't take this too far, but once he got a taste of her, he couldn't stop.

There was a knock at the door and Dembe pokes his head in, only to see the two of them in their passionate embrace. "Hey, you two. The doctor is coming."

They pull away from each other smiling. "Thank you Dembe," Lizzie says with a smile.

"Yes, thank you," Red remarks.

"Better me than the doctor," Dembe jokes before closing the door. Soon enough the doctor walks in. He had his head down looking over a chart. Same kid doctor as before, Red thinks. He looks up and a smile spreads across his face.

"Agent Keen, I was the doctor who treated you. Do you remember me?"

Lizzie shakes her head. "Not really. Tell you the truth, I don't remember anything about that time. I get flashes mostly, but…" she trails off waving her hand at Red. "Ray sorta told me what happened. At least from his perspective."

The doctor nods. "Well, that's to be expected. It might come back and it might not."

The doctor continues on asking Lizzie a series of questions. He does a quick exam and nods when everything turns out okay. He jots a few things on the chart and then turns to Red and Lizzie.

"Well?" they ask in unison.

"Everything is looking good. You are free, Agent Keen."

"Oh, thank God," she says getting up.

~*~ TBL ~*~

It was dusk by the time they ended up leaving the hospital. Red and Lizzie holding hands while Dembe walks behind them. Lizzie stops, causing the other two to stop as well. "Lizzie?" Red questions.

She drops his hand and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling his face down to her, capturing his lips with hers. "Oh for the love of…" Dembe mutters. They break the kiss laughing.

"You ready for our date?" Red asks.

Lizzie nods, smiling. "Oh yes," she says.

They head to the car and Dembe takes the wheel while the other two get in the back. They drive for a little while and then Lizzie lets out a gasp as she sees the sudden change in landscape. She presses herself against the window and starts laughing. "You like?" Red asks as Dembe pulls into a parking spot.

"Oh my God. Red, I haven't been to a fair since I was little. Sam stopped making me go when I hit 14, when I thought I was too cool to hang out with my dad at the fair. We used to have one every summer. That was our thing, we used to go every year," Lizzie laments.

"Glad you like it," Red says wrapping his arm around her neck and leading her towards the gate. Lizzie looks around at all the sounds and lights, smiling. Just a few days ago, she wouldn't be able to function with all of this and now she is glad that she can.

"What's first?" Lizzie asks looking up at Red.

"Whatever you want sweetheart," he tells her.

The next few hours were spent walking around, riding the occasional ride, and playing the occasional game. She had handed the toys and stuffed animals off to little kids, that either she or Red had won. She didn't need the mementos, she had her memories and that was good enough.

Lizzie points to a vendor who was selling cotton candy. Red pulls out his wallet and turns to Dembe asking if he wanted anything. Dembe gives him a nod and points out something he wants. The three then continue walking around. Lizzie groans as she takes her first bite of the fluffy goodness.

"I haven't had this stuff in years. It's sweeter than I remember, though," she licks her fingers before offering a bite to Red, who was staring at her, a glazed look on his face. She leans up and gives him a kiss, letting him taste the sweetness on her lips. Red pulls back grinning. He offers her a drink of his water and she takes it while offering, once again, him a piece of cotton candy. He leans forward slightly, taking the cotton candy into his mouth, giving her fingers a lick as well, making Lizzie shudder at the sensation.

"Ray, win me something and then…" she trails off, while she leans up and brings her mouth to his ear, "take me home."

He tugs her to the nearest booth and wins her a stuffed bear that's holding a heart between its paws. A heart which proclaims 'I wuv you beary much'. Lizzie wraps her arms around him, bringing him flush again her as she leans up and kisses him.

"Dembe, it's time to go," Red says slightly breathless, wrapping his arm around Lizzie and guiding her toward the exit.

Lizzie knew things weren't going to be easy. She knew they were going to face a lot of obstacles. They had partners and bosses and blacklisters to deal with. And even though they hadn't physically told each other 'I love you' it was there. More pronounced than ever after the last couple of days. She knew that they would come out stronger on the other side. And that, that gave her peaceful feeling.

During the day, at the Post Office they would have to be Reddington and Agent Keen, criminal and FBI profiler. But at the end of the day, they would be Ray and Lizzie, two people in love. She was okay with that.


End file.
